Frozen
by TheRealRenee
Summary: // Chapter 22 now up \\ After finding out about Christian and Jericho's 'bet,' Edge and RVD set out to take a little vengeance for Lita and Trish... Lita/Edge, Trish/RVD, Lilian/HBK, Christian, Jericho
1. Default Chapter

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The man could not believe his eyes _or_ ears as he witnessed the scene taking place before his eyes. 

"What a couple of miserable scumbag bastards!" he shouted, though no one was around to hear him yelling. He raised one hand to practically tear at his long blond hair before letting it drop to his side. Unconsciously, he clenched it into a fist, as he felt the need to hit something - some_one_... 

What he really wanted to hit - rather, _who_ - were those two pathetic jerks Y2J Chris Jericho and his own brother, Christian. 

He'd hardly been able to believe his ears when he'd heard that smug, arrogant Jericho mention a bet. A _bet_... Y2J and Christian had made a bet over which one of them could sleep with a diva first. And they'd chosen two divas in particular... 

He grew even more angry when the camera had shifted just outside to the locker room - where his friend Trish Stratus stood, overhearing everything. The blonde's heart was broken, tears streaming down her face as she weakly clutched the Canadian jersey she'd made for Chris. She'd actually fallen for the bastard, and had been considering tonight being 'the big night.' 

Edge clenched his hands into fists again. Poor Trish... She was falling apart, her heart shattered into a million pieces. He wanted to pound Chris Jericho to a pulp... 

And then, he thought of the diva his brother had bet he could 'bag'... Lita... 

The tall blond man became even more enraged as he thought of how slick Christian was - thinking the redhead would be easy pickings after the alleged look of adoration she'd given him out at ringside. Edge wouldn't have been surprised if Christian _and_ Lita's rotten asshole ex-boyfriend Matt Hardy were fucking Molly Holly... The brunette had run out to attack the other diva during the two men's match - for which Lita had accompanied the blond man - tossing her into the steel ring steps. It would make perfect sense if Molly was in cahoots with Christian... 

Edge felt literally sick to his stomach just by the fact that Christian was his brother. The little ass... He couldn't understand how his own flesh and blood could so callously use a woman like that. Oh sure, he himself hadn't exactly been an angel in the past, but at least he'd never resorted to this kind of shit! Even at his worst, Edge had never played games with a woman - it was immature, low and pathetic, in his opinion... 

God damn it... What must Lita be thinking right now...? He'd seen the way she'd looked at Christian earlier, after his match. And judging by that, his brother very well might have been _right_ in what he'd said to Jericho. To make matters worse, the redhead had to be extremely vulnerable right now, what with Matt dumping her a mere two weeks earlier... 

Edge ran a hand through his long blond hair, his mind working furiously as he thought about what he should do about all of this. Damn it... Lita and Trish were his friends, and he damn well sure was not going to let those two pricks get away with the crap they were pulling. 

Then, it suddenly came to him. He was one of the superstars from SmackDown, but that didn't _have_ to be the case. Since Test, Scott Steiner and La Resistance had all been fired earlier by RAW's new co-General Manager Mick Foley, those guys would no doubt seek jobs on SmackDown. Edge knew damn well that Paul Heyman wouldn't turn them away. Therefore, he should have no problem leaving and jumping ship to RAW... 

...And when he did _that_, his sorry excuse for a brother and that jackass Jericho would be in for a surprise...   
  
  


Part 2 

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	2. Chapter 2

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Trish Stratus stood with her head bowed, face pressed into a wad of toilet paper as she cried. 

Immediately after overhearing Chris Jericho and Christian's conversation, she'd fled down the hallway and to the ladies room. Thankfully, there hadn't been anyone else inside, and she'd locked herself into the stall farthest from the door. 

That had been several minutes ago, and she was unable to stop crying... 

Although she tried her best to keep it silent, at times her weeping would become audible sobs. 

She couldn't believe it... This entire month, all this time... All the tender moments they'd shared... Trish had actually been falling in love with Chris - but all she'd ever meant to him was nothing more than a sleazy bet... He'd even told Christian he was going to tape them having sex tonight! 

The blonde's slender body shook with more sobs as she thought about all the nice times they'd had recently. It really broke her heart - _he'd_ broken her heart... She couldn't believe she'd actually been _stupid_ enough to believe he was falling for her the way she'd fallen for him! 

Damn it... Trish sniffled and snatched up a fresh batch of toilet paper. She'd really opened herself up - opened her _heart_, and this was what she got for it... She knew she should have just marched right into that locker room and punched Chris right in the nose, but... Well, she wasn't quite at that place yet. She didn't hate him because her feelings were still there... Besides, she was nowhere near as angry as she was heartbroken to do that yet... She _was_ angry, but for some strange reason, she was a lot more angry at _herself_ than she was with Chris. 

Trish stopped crying abruptly as she suddenly remembered that she wasn't the only one who'd been wronged. Lita... The redheaded diva didn't know a thing about the sham Jericho and Christian had been plotting. She probably still thought of Christian as her friend - and quite possibly her next _boyfriend_. Trish knew how vulnerable the other woman had been ever since that jerk Matt Hardy had dumped her on live national television. And while Lita played tough, which was true, typical character for her, she had to be hurting - and yearning for love after getting her heart broken so badly. 

She wondered how in the world she was going to tell the other woman what she knew. But she knew she _had_ to... 

Steeling herself and telling herself not to cry anymore, at least for now, Trish dried the tears from her face. She had to return to the locker room and get her stuff, and then she would be out of this place. She felt that if she stayed her any longer, she would _totally_ lose it. Plus, she dreaded running into Chris after all this. 

She also hoped she would not run into Lita - at least not yet. At the moment, all she wanted to do was forget all about this horrible, painful night - as difficult as that might be. 

The blonde quickly left the stall, stepping only briefly to check her reflection in one of the mirrors over the row of sinks. God, she looked a mess. Anyone she might encounter would definitely know she'd been crying. 

As she swiftly made her way to the door to leave, she jumped a bit as she nearly collided with another woman who was entering. 

"Trish..." Lilian Garcia eyed her with sympathy, shaking her head. "Are you all right? I heard what those two ingrates did..." 

The other woman winced. Damn it... She wondered if _everyone_ knew. And now that her friend Lilian was bringing it up, Trish couldn't stop the tears from flowing freely again. 

The little ring announcer hugged her friend, trying to comfort her. 

"Shh...I know it doesn't mean a damn to you right now, but he's not worth it..." She patted Trish's shoulder. After a moment, Lilian pulled away to look her seriously in the eye. 

"Have you told Lita yet?" 

Trish shook her head. 

"I...I can't, I'm too ashamed," she admitted. "As stupid as _that_ sounds..." 

"Trish, listen to me," the other blonde said firmly as she grabbed the Canadian woman's hand. "You have absolutely _nothing_ to be ashamed of...You didn't do anything wrong - _he's_ the one who should be ashamed!" 

Trish nodded and wiped at her face with the back of her free hand. 

"You have to tell Lita..." 

The Canadian diva looked into her friend's brown eyes, terrified...   
  
  


Part 3 

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	3. Chapter 3

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Lita was still aching as she made her way out of the arena. 

Her back hurt like nobody's business, and she winced as she hitched her bag higher over her shoulder. 

Shit... That damn Molly Holly had tossed her into the steel ring steps earlier that night, when she'd been standing in Christian's corner during his match - against none other than her ex-boyfriend, Matt Hardy. She'd been minding her own business, merely watching the action when the brunette Women's champion had run out to attack her. 

She grimaced some more as she reached her rental car, then grabbed her keys. That was when a hand suddenly touched her shoulder, and, startled, she nearly jumped. She whirled around but calmed down immeasurably when she saw who'd been standing beside her. 

"Sorry...Didn't mean to scare you..." 

"That's all right," she replied. "You know I don't scare easily." She gave a little nervous laugh. 

"Of course not...you're extreme..." the man said with a smile, following it with a wink, echoing the exact same thing he'd said to his friend earlier. "But hey... Need a hand?" 

"Oh, _God_, yes!" the redhead said, letting out a sigh to follow. "After what that bitch Molly Holly did to me earlier, my back is killing me." 

The man put one strap of the bag securely over his right shoulder as he unlocked the driver's side door for her. 

"Well, hopefully it's nothing a good soak in a hot bath won't cure." 

"Yeah, hopefully." She smiled at him as he held the door open for her. After she gingerly got in, he opened the back door and lay her bag on its seat. She glanced around, biting her lip gently as she wondered if his own rental was nearby. 

"Well, I'd better get a move-on," he said. "I have to get my stuff and head back myself." 

"Is your rental near? I can wait for you," Lita offered. 

"I didn't get a rental today," the man replied. "No time, so I took a cab over." 

The redhead arched an eyebrow prettily at that. 

"So, you're expecting to take one now, too?" 

"Yeah." 

"Listen, you don't have to do that. Why don't you ride back with me?" 

The man quirked his brows up. This was certainly an interesting turn of events, and inside, he was laughing. He _knew_ he was the one who was going to win this thing... 

"You don't mind?" 

"No, not at all," Lita assured him. "Why would I mind?" 

"Great! And thanks, I'll go back to my locker room to get my stuff and be right back, okay?" Afterward, he made a mad dash back toward the building. 

The redhead couldn't help the small smile that came to her lips as she watched him race back into the arena. She felt so grateful toward the man for how nice he'd been, for how he'd picked her up after she'd been so down when Matt had dumped her. He was really such a sweetheart - much to her pleasant surprise. 

Suddenly, the ringing of her cell phone startled her from her thoughts. As she reached for it, she noted that Trish was calling from her own cell. 

"Hey, Trish...What's up?" 

"Hi, Lita. I'm so glad I caught you. Look, I..." The little blonde paused, and the redhead could hear her sigh on the other end. "I'm going to room with Lilian tonight. I just wanted to let you know." 

"Okay..." The other diva frowned, wondering why Trish was suddenly not going to be rooming with _her_ tonight. After all, they'd been sharing a hotel room on the road constantly since she'd returned from her injury. On the other hand, she knew the Canadian diva was close friends with the petite ring announcer as well. 

Inwardly, she wondered if Trish was only _saying_ this to cover up something else. Maybe it really had to do with Chris Jericho. 

"Lita, I'm...I'm sorry." 

"For what? Don't worry a thing about it, Trish," she replied. "I don't mind you ditching me for _Lilian_..." There was a grin on her face when she said that. If her friend wanted to play coy with her, she'd play along - for now. 

After a moment, the two women hung up, and the redhead looked up to see him returning. 

"All set?" she asked with a smile. 

The man got into the passenger's side door, which she'd unlocked for him. 

"All set," Christian replied with a grin.   
  
  


Part 4 

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	4. Chapter 4

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Trish ran a hand through her hair as she counted the change in her other hand. She was standing in front of one of the hotel's vending machines, prepared to get a Coke. 

She deposited her three quarters into the machine and pressed the proper button. After a beat, and when the can of soda didn't appear, she pressed it a second time. 

"Come on..." she muttered. She hit the button a little more forcefull this time, and with a closed fist. 

Nothing happened - other than the machine remaining idle and not delivering her Coke to her. 

Trish swore under her breath, noting the red digital words that read 'insert correct change.' 

"I _did_, damn it!" Furious that something like this would happen after the horrible night she'd had, she hit the machine with all her might with both hands. Afterward, she pushed the lever to reject a purchase to retrieve her coins, but to no avail. 

"Stupid piece of junk!" she cried, and she swung her leg back to kick the vending machine. 

"Hey, are you okay?" 

The little blonde whirled around at the sound of the voice, coming face-to-face with Rob Van Dam. She eyed him sheepishly, then ducked her head slightly. She couldn't help feeling embarrassed that he'd caught her little battle with the device. 

"Yeah, I just... This stupid machine ate up my money and didn't give me my soda." 

"Here, let me give you a hand," RVD said, and he reached into one pocket of his jeans for some coins. With seventy-five cents in hand, he slipped the change into the slot and turned back toward Trish. "What do you want to drink?" 

"A regular Coke," she replied. 

The man made the selection, and, amazingly, a can made its way through and down to the bottom. Van Dam reached down for it and handed the soda to the blonde diva. 

"Thank you." Trish managed a small smile. 

"Don't mention it. I'm always glad to help out a damsel in distress," he said with a smile of his own. 

The little blonde eyed him for a beat, then shyly shifted her gaze down to the can she held in her hands. 

"Hey," Rob said, placing one hand on her shoulder. "I saw what happened to you tonight..." 

Trish's eyes became distressed as she listened to his words. She hated this - almost everyone knew about her humiliation, and they had to let her _know_ they knew. Before she could say anything, RVD continued. 

"I just wanted to let you know that if you ever need to talk... I'm here." He gazed at her softly, gently. The Canadian diva bit her lip as she nodded. Emotion welled up inside of her as everything she'd learned earlier that night came rushing back to her. 

"Okay?" Rob moved his hand from Trish's shoulder to her arm, rubbing it gently. 

She slowly shifted her gaze from the man's hazel eyes to his hand caressing her arm. Damn it, Rob was a friend, and here she was looking at him with mistrust - as though she thought he were up to something... As _Chris_ had been up to something, and no good at that. Would she ever really get to trust men again? 

"Yeah... Thanks," she finally spoke, and, self-consciously. She pulled back a bit so as to avoid the physical contact. 

"I mean it, Trish," RVD said softly. "I'll always be around if you need me." 

The petite diva blinked and gazed into his eyes silently. 

_He's not like Chris_, she told herself. _He's_ nothing _like Chris_... 

"Okay." She nodded, not knowing what else to say for the moment because of how very emotional she was and because she was feeling pretty awkward as well. "Look, I'd better be getting back..." Trish gestured with a thumb she hooked over her shoulder. 

"Sure... I understand." 

She gave him a tiny yet uncertain smile, then turned to leave and head back to Lilian's room. She made it as far as four feet before stopping to turn back. 

"Oh, and Rob?" 

Van Dam looked back at her expectantly. 

"Thanks for the soda..." 

A smile spread across the man's face.   
  
  


Part 5 

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	5. Chapter 5

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Lita pulled the car into a space in the hotel's lot and put the rental in park. She undid her seatbelt, meeting the blue eyes of Christian, who smiled at her. 

"Well, we're here..." 

"Thank goodness," the redhead said. "After what that bitch Molly did to me earlier, I just want to relax... Maybe I'll soak in a nice hot tub." 

The blond man arched a brow at the thought of that - Lita in a bathtub, nothing covering her beautiful, naked body but bubbles... He caught himself just in time as his tongue was about to lick at his lips. 

"Just wanna rest all night, huh?" 

"Definitely..." The diva gingerly edged her way out of the car, wincing as she straightened up. Her back was still hurting. 

"Too bad you feel so lousy," Christian said. "I was going to ask you if you maybe wanted to go out for awhile... But you _should_ rest up after what happened." 

Lita eyed him and smiled. He was such a sweetheart, and she hated that she'd misjudged him back when he'd first rescued her from the clutches of Molly, Victoria and Steven Richards several weeks back. 

"Well, Trish called me earlier and said she'd be rooming with Lilian tonight, so... I've got the room all to myself..." 

The blond man arched a brow at this little revelation. It was very interesting indeed... And it was funny how Trish had said she'd be with Lilian - Christian would bet his bottom dollar - _Canadian_, of course - that the blonde was really going to be with _Chris_ tonight. 

"Cool... Are you inviting me over?" 

"Of course I am..." Lita said with a grin as they began making their way to the hotel. "And if you don't accept my invitation, I may just have to club you over the head and _drag_ you over." 

Christian couldn't help but laugh at that. He couldn't believe his luck... Things were definitely going to get interesting tonight, for sure... 

* 

Edge felt a sickening, sinking feeling in his gut as he wrestled with the steering wheel of his rental car. 

Damn it... He had to get there, had to at least arrive at the right city... 

Practically the moment after he'd witnessed Christian and Chris Jericho talking about the bet, he'd packed a bag and swiftly left his house. All he could think of doing was getting the hell out of there and to his two diva friends - especially Lita. Although Trish had obviously found out about the pathetica plan the two men had devised, chances were the redhead was still in the dark. He supposed Trish had probably spilled her guts and told Lita everything, but on the other hand, maybe she _hadn't_... 

...And that was only one of the reasons he had to go to them. 

The blond man couldn't help the fear inside at the thought that Christian might have already gotten Lita into bed. He knew he didn't have to worry about Trish - unfortunately, she'd had to find out the truth in such a cold, callous and crushing fashion. But he knew there was no way in hell the blonde diva would ever give Jericho the time of day again - aside from maybe smashing her fist into his smug, arrogant face. 

Edge's face hardened as he thought of his brother... Christian was a smooth one, all right. For as long as he could remember, the other man had never really been serious as far as women were concerned. Basically, he went through members of the opposite sex almost like an assorted chocolates in a box - as though, to him, women were to be sampled at random, for his own enjoyment. 

The tall blond man was determined not to let his brother make Lita just another notch on his bedpost. And oh yeah... He was also going to see to it that Christian, as well as Jericho, got exactly what they deserved. 

As he continued driving, pushing the gas pedal slightly closer to the floor to speed a bit more, he entertained thoughts of violence to Christian and Y2J's genitals...   
  
  


Part 6 

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	6. Chapter 6

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Lilian looked up as the door to her hotel room opened and Trish returned. The ring announcer noted the still sad expression on her friend's face and couldn't help but wish there were something she could do to make the other woman feel better. 

"Hey, how about we order some Chinese from this takeout place and watch a movie on Showtime?" She held up a menu that had been slipped under the door of the room sometime while she'd been at the arena that night. 

Trish was unresponsive as she merely stood near the door, all her concentration apparently focused on the Coca Cola can she held in her hands. 

"Trish?" Lilian asked, and the Canadian diva finally snapped out of it and looked up. 

"Sorry... I was just-" 

"I know, and believe me, I understand. Men can be such jerks." The blonde ring announcer wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I know that better than anyone after finding Hunter screwing Torrie Wilson in his locker room." 

Trish winced, the memory of how crushed her friend had been at discovering her boyfriend fucking the diva who'd posed for Playboy clear as day. It seemed that, ever since Lilian had grown more furious than sad over Triple H's cheating and subsequently dumped his ass, the other blonde had pretty much given up on men. Trish couldn't really blame her. 

"You'll be okay," the ring announcer said softly as she came toward her, putting an arm around the Canadian's shoulders. "I promise you will be." 

Trish nodded weakly. The truth was, this time she hadn't been thinking about Chris and what he'd done - she was thinking of Rob Van Dam. He'd seemed so sweet and concerned out by the vending machine. 

Finally, the little blonde found her voice. 

"Lilian, do you think... Well, do you think you'll ever completely get over what Hunter did to you?" 

The other woman sat down on the edge of the bed nearest them, mulling it over. 

"Well... No, I suppose I _won't_. Being cheated on, being lied to by the man you love - who's _supposed_ to love _you_ - is a very devastating thing," she replied. 

Trish nodded and took a seat on the desk chair near her friend. 

"Do you think you'll ever open yourself enough to trust another guy again?" 

"Hmm..." Lilian lowered her brown eyes for a beat to think about it. Then, meeting the other blonde's eyes, she resumed. "Yeah... yeah, I think so - someday." 

The Canadian diva was slightly surprised by the answer. On the other hand, Lilian generally had a very sunny disposition, and she was not typically one to hold grudges. No, she _wouldn't_ hold it against the entire male population just because one of its lousier representatives had wronged and hurt her so terribly. 

Trish managed a tiny smile for her friend's benefit, but also because of Lilian's reassuring and self-confident words. She had to admit, she felt slightly better than she had earlier that night. 

"Thanks, Lil..." the blonde said, her smile becoming ever so slightly larger, and more from the heart. 

The little ring announcer smiled. 

"What are you thanking me for?" she questioned. 

For making me feel better... And for just being such a good friend." 

"Aw, Trish," Lilian said with a soft chuckle as she nudged the other blonde on the shoulder. "You know you don't have to thank me. Besides, what are friends for?" 

"You're right..." The blonde Canadian popped the ring off her soda can and took a long swallow, still thoughtful. Then, turning back to face her friend, she posed the question she'd wanted to ask the most. "Do you think _I_ will ever find someone else? I mean, someone I'll feel the same way toward as I felt toward... Chris?" 

Lilian shook her head, causing the other woman to gape at her with shock. 

"No, I don't... That is, not in the same exact way you felt toward _him_." 

Trish calmed down visibly at that explanation. 

"I hope so," she said in a soft voice. She couldn't help thinking of RVD once again. His kindness had actually touched her.   
  
  


Part 7 

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	7. Chapter 7

It was all Christian could do to keep the grin off his face as he and Lita entered the redhead's hotel room. 

Although he'd been making nice with the diva for over a month now, this was the first time he'd ever actually been _this_ alone with her. Oh, sure, he'd been alone with her lots of times over the last several weeks since he'd rescued her from Molly, Victoria and Steven - but this was a whole new ballgame. _This_ was a hell of a lot more... intimate. 

_Intimate_... The word reverberated in Christian's head. He had a lot actually planned out in his mind, but would things go the way he envisioned them? 

"Come on in," Lita said, turning around to face him as he stood still just in the doorway. "Make yourself comfortable. I won't bit - unless you _want_ me to..." A bright, mischievous, and flirtatious grin spread across her face. 

The blond man couldn't stop the chuckle from escaping him as he stepped into the room. Maybe this was going to be much easier than he'd thought... Of course, the redhead might have been joking despite the obvious innuendo. 

"Sure... Don't mind if I do," was all he replied. He tugged on his wheeled suitcase, aware for the first time since getting here that he still had it with him. Maybe Lita was going to make him take it directly to his own room first? But when he stopped it in front of the desk, she didn't utter a word about doing so. 

The redhead sat on the edge of one of the two queen-sized beds and began tugging off her shoes. She looked up at Christian as he stood uncertainly, and almost shyly over her a few feet away, his hands shoved into the pockets of his khakis. 

"Christian... come here - sit with me..." 

The Canadian edged closer and sat beside the diva on the bed. It took all his willpower not to grin, but he felt a tiny tugging at the corners of his mouth - as though little fairies were pulling at them. He didn't want the redhead to be onto him, though... But it was obvious that she suspected nothing of his and Chris Jericho's bet... 

The redhead's hazel eyes were downcast for a beat, and she looked a little sad. 

"What is it?" the blond man asked softly. 

She raised her gaze to meet his cornflower blue eyes. 

"I sort of cost you your match against Matt tonight," she said softly. "I guess my being out there sort of hurt rather than _helped_ you..." 

Christian's expression softened. 

"Lita... Honey, don't say that," he spoke. "It wasn't _your_ fault - blame it on that damn Molly Holly..." He lowered his own gaze so that he was staring at a spot on the floor. "I'm just sorry I didn't beat Matt... I-" He raised his blue eyes to meet her hazel orbs again. "I really wanted to beat him for you..." 

The redhead seemed to melt as she smiled softly at his comment. He really did seem too good to be true, and she appreciated everything he'd done for her. He'd made her feel good and special when she'd felt low and worthless - in the trying time after Matt Hardy had broken up with her. 

She decided to show him her gratitude... 

"You're sweet, Christian..." The redheaded diva reached one hand up to his face, her forefinger pressing gently against his cheek. Then, slowly, she moved forward, closing the distance between them and placing her lips against his. 

_Bingo! Jackpot!_ Christian thought as he kissed her back. Her tongue felt hot and demanding, and he couldn't help the little groan that issued from him as she slipped her hand to his inner thigh... 

He only wondered if Chris had already scored, thus winning the bet... 

Part 8 

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	8. Chapter 8

Edge gritted his teeth in frustration as he stopped his rental car and put it in park in the lot. He was at the hotel he rememebered Trish as having said she and Lita were staying. 

He didn't even bother retrieving his luggage out of the trunk, as the tall blond man had more pressing matters on his mind at the moment. 

Somehow, he knew Christian was with Lita right now - he knew it. It wasn't something he could explain, but he felt it deep in his bones. And all he wanted to do was march right to the redhead's room and barge in - thus stopping what he knew - or rather dreaded - was probably already happening. 

As Edge briskly entered the hotel, he suddenly remembered, with a sickening sensation, that he didn't even know Lita's room number. There was no way he could just barge in there, and... 

He clenched his hands in frustration, realizing they could have just as easily gone to Christian's room. But it was the same situation - he didn't have a room number... 

'Trish!' the Canadian man thought. The little blonde could definitely help him - she would no doubt know where Lita was. And so, in a mad dash, Edge headed for the stairs that would lead him to the second floor. He didn't see any WWE superstars here in the lobby, so that was a better bet. 

As he made his way up the flight of stairs, Edge reached for his cell phone and dialed the blonde diva's number. The phone rang on the other end a couple of times, and the man feared no one would answer and it would go to voicemail... And that was when someone picked up. 

"Hello?" 

"Hello?" the blond Canadian asked, confused, as the woman who'd answered was most definitely not Trish Stratus. He thought he must have dialed a wrong number and started to say as much when the woman spoke again. 

"Edge, it's Lilian..." 

The blond man blinked. 

"Oh... hey - sorry, Lilian." He hadn't heard the woman's voice in awhile, which was why he'd been thrown off. 

"That's okay... Trish is sleeping now. She..." The ring announcer sighed before she continued. "Well, she's had a rough night." 

"I know," he replied, his jaw setting in his anger as he was reminded of what Jericho and Christian were up to. "I saw RAW tonight. Listen, Lilian, I need the number of Lita's hotel room. Do you know it?" 

"Um... Oh, yeah," the blonde woman replied. "She and Trish were staying in three-twen-" 

Edge suddenly found himself listening to dead air. They'd been cut off. 

"Shit!" he cursed, staring at the display on his cell phone - and that was when he realized the batter had finally decided to go dead. "Damn it, not now!" 

So angry he wanted to smash his phone to bits, the tall Canadian finally gave up. At least he was in the right hotel. Lilian had been saying Lita's room was three-twenty-something... Maybe when he made it up to the third floor, he could find someone he knew out in the hall and ask exactly which one it was. He only hoped the hallway on that floor wasn't as deserted as it was here. 

Most of all, he hoped to God that he wasn't already too late... 

Not two minutes later, Edge was on the third floor, his long legs moving extra quickly. 

Shit... He didn't see anyone. But then he suddenly did, as he noticed Shawn Michaels had just stepped out of his hotel room further down the hall. 

And damn it, the Heartbreak Kid was turning his back, apparently about to walk away. Shit, he had to get his attention before it was too late. 

"Hey!" the Canadian called as he broke into a run toward the other man. "Shawn, hold up!" 

Michaels stopped abruptly and turned around. 

Edge was so relieved, he would have laughed if the situation weren't so dire. In a hurry, he closed the distance between himself and the older man. 

"Hey, Edge, man," Shawn said as he neared. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be SmackDown?" 

"Yeah, I am, but I had an emergency... Look, Shawn - do you know what room Lita's in? I really need to see her." 

HBK arched a brow curiously. 

"Yeah, she's in three-twenty-nine down the hall. We keep running into each other." 

"Thanks a million, man - I owe you one," the taller blond said. With that, he raced back the way he'd come, leaving a confused and curious Shawn Michaels behind. 

Part 9 

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	9. Chapter 9

Christian let out a soft groan as he and Lita continued kissing, hands groping at one another repeatedly. And oh, God... He thought he might just about explode when he suddenly felt her hand travel lower, rubbing at him through his jeans. He was rock-hard, and ready to cash in on the bet. 

Quickly repositioning the redhead so that he was kneeling behind her on the bed, the blond man pulled at her shirt, kissing the nape of her neck as he did so. In seconds, she was out of the tank top, and he trailed kisses on the side of the surgically-repaired bodypart as his hands snaked to her chest to cup and knead her breasts. And shit... Why was her bra still on? 

As the Canadian went for the hooks on the undergarment, his hands fumbling in the process, Lita turned to face him, preventing his task. In a second, her arms went up and around his neck to pull him down to her again, her lips and tongue hot and demanding as she kissed him. 

Christian kissed her back ardently, a soft whimper escaping him as he throbbed and pressed painfully against the zipper of his jeans. Oh, God, he was about to go mad here... And then, the diva gently but forcefully pushed him down on his back, coming to straddle him, the pupils of her hazel eyes strangely dilated. He enjoyed the way she was suddenly in control except for the discomfort in his pants - discomfort that intermingled with pain here and there. 

Then, a moment later, Christian let out a sigh of relief as Lita suddenly reached down to unbutton and unzipper the unforgiving denim. God, that felt so much better... She lowered herself a bit so that she was pressing against his erection. The sensation felt so good, the blond had to bite his lip to prevent himself from crying out. He could only imagine what heaven it would feel like once he was inside of her... 

The blond man couldn't believe it. His head was practically spinning as the diva bent forward again for another kiss. He was actually going to get his chance to fuck Lita! 

Christian let out a moan as the redhead's hand was suddenly inside of his jeans, and she slipped it past his underwear, touching the hard flesh. She too released a soft moan from her lips as she fondled him, their kisses growing more wild and intense... And then... 

"You fucking little prick! I'll kill you!" 

Both Lita and Christian gave more than a start, startled beyond belief to hear the voice, to know that, suddenly, they were no longer alone. 

As impossible as it seemed, Edge was standing in the room, near the door, his eyes wide with fury as he glared at him. His brother was here... As he leapt up from the bed, quickly readjusting his pants, Christian noted the keycard in his hand. 

"Edge? How...? What are you doing here?!" Lita cried, so shocked to see the tall blond that she didn't even bother attempting to cover herself up. It was only when Edge's green eyes scanned her up and down that she came back to herself, and she quickly, self-consciously crossed her arms over her breasts. 

"I'm here," the tall Canadian began, his eyes narrowing to murderous slits as he focused his gaze back to Christian, "to kill my bastard of a brother!" 

The younger man's eyes shifted nervously, his mouth too dry for him to even speak. Holy shit... Christian wondered what in hell this was all about, what Edge knew... 

"What?! Why?" the redhead cried incredulously, her gaze going from the older brother to the younger. "He hasn't done anything wrong! And I resent you barging into my hotel room like some crazed maniac!" 

Edge nodded, as he'd suspected as much. Lita didn't know a damn thing of what was really going on here - Trish had obviously never told her, and she hadn't seen the footage of the petite blonde overhearing Christian and Jericho's conversation earlier that night. 

The tall blond man didn't fail to notice the way his brother's eyes were shifting all over the place - as though he were plotting a way to get out of here before he spilled the beans. The creepy little bastard, as Stone Cold Steve Austin called him... He couldn't believe how close Christian had come to making good on that stupid bet. 

"Lita... Christian is playing you," Edge blurted, but the redheaded diva's expression didn't falter. She simply continued to eye him with annoyance. 

"No he's not..." she protested. "He's been nothing but sweet to me - he got me my job back a month ago when Bischoff had fired me!" 

"Right... and that was all just a part of his and Jericho's game." 

Lita cocked her head, her face now registering confusion. 

"What's Jericho got to do with all of this?" 

"Oh, a whole hell of a lot," Edge went on. "You see, he and my pathetic excuse for a brother made a bet to see which one of them could get the diva of his choice into bed first - for a whole Canadian dollar!" 

Lita's eyes widened in shock, her jaw dropping in disbelief, but the tall blond continued. 

"Trish found out about it already - she overheard that jackass Jericho talking to this-" He gestured toward his brother. "I guess she couldn't work up the nerve to tell you." 

"But... but-" 

Then, before the redhead could utter another syllable, Edge suddenly lunged for Christian, doing exactly what he'd set out to do in the first place - he beat the hell out of him... 

Part 10 

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	10. Chapter 10

Lita buried her face in her hands, tears still on her cheeks as she absorbed everything that had just happened - and that she'd learned. And what could have happened. 

Chrisitan had been using her... He'd never been her friend or cared about her. All he'd wanted from her was a quick lay. God, she felt cheap... And how could she not, seeing as the bet Christian had made with Chris Jericho had been for a Canadian dollar? 

She felt a presence right beside her again, and moving her hands, she saw Edge standing over her, an object in his hands. He was handing her the shirt she'd let his brother remove from her body. As she gratefully accepted the garment, she noted the concern in the the tall blond man's green eyes. 

As she redressed in her tank top, Edge turned his back out of respect for her privacy. The redhead felt more tears threatening and sniffled at the mere gesture. He seemed to be so much the opposite of his brother. 

"It's okay, Edge, you can turn around now..." 

The Canadian did so, and his heart nearly broke at the extent of sadness in the expression on Lita's face. She looked really crushed. And why shouldn't she? His guess was that, after a few months of Christian having been so nice to her - regardless of the fact that it had all been a ploy - the redhead had started to fall for him. He knew his brother was fully capable of packing on the charm when he deemed it necessary - especially where the ladies were concerned. 

His brother... The slimy little prick... Moments earlier, Edge had gotten through with beating the hell out of him, fists flying. He'd concluded that with a warning, telling Christian that he'd make him sorry he was ever born if he ever caught him near Lita again. The short-haired blond man, still so shocked his elder sibling was really there, hadn't even fought back. In the end, Christian had managed to escape out the door - and Edge had let him go. He'd done exactly what he'd come for, so that was enough. 

"I can't... I can't believe it..." the redhead said sadly, her eyes briefly meeting his. She shook her head as though comprehension of what she'd learned was a foreign concept to her. "Why... How could he do that to me?" 

She appeared to be on the verge of tears again, and the tall blond man nearly winced. 

"He's not worth it, Lita..." He reached down with one hand, tipping her head up with his thumb hooked under her chin. He gazed deeply into her hazel eyes, which were shining with fresh tears. "I'm so sorry my idiot brother targeted you... but Lita, you are so much better than Christian. Don't waste your tears on him..." 

"But it... it hurts," the diva said softly, her expression tragic. 

"I know it does, sweetheart..." God, she looked so miserable. Edge just wanted to gather the redhead in his arms and hold her. He wanted to do more than that, but after what she'd just been through, she might think he was no better than his brother. And he wasn't willing to take that chance. 

Lita shook her head, the blond man's thumb still hooked beneath her chin. 

"I don't understand... I really thought he cared about me..." 

Edge winced, his green eyes remaining fixed to her sad face. A single tears had finally managed to become free and trickle down her cheek. 

"Now you listen to me, Lita..." he began, causing the redhead's tearful eyes to widen just a bit at the firmness of his words. "If any man can't see how warm and sweet, and... oh, yeah... beautiful and wonderful you are, well then... He's just a damn fool." 

The diva's breath caught in her throat as her gaze remained fixed on his handsome face. 

"You deserve someone who will treat you like a princess, sweetheart... Because you are a special person, Lita..." 

Lita blinked and bit her lip, the emotions doing battle inside of her. 

"Thank you, Edge..." she mouthed softly. 

The tall blond man gathered her in his embrace, holding her tightly. They remained like that for a long time. 

Part 11 

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	11. Chapter 11

Trish awoke reluctantly, her head pounding somewhat, as she'd spent a good portion of the previous night crying.

She felt so empty - so horribly empty and alone. And on top of all of the emotional anguish, the little blonde felt a most dulling physical pain as well. Besides her headache, her eyes actually hurt. All of her crying had seen fit to that, and the emptiness she felt was, oddly, even a physical sensation.

"Good morning, sweetie..."

The greeting came from Lilian, the ring announcer emerging from the bathroom and a shower. The other blonde had already dressed and was brushing out her long straight hair. She appeared to be in a good mood, although Trish knew her to be a morning person.

"Hey..." She forced a smile for the other diva's benefit.

Lilian sighed sadly and came over to sit on the edge of the Canadian's bed. She paused in her task of styling her hair as she looked down at her friend.

"I know how terribly you're feeling right now," she said. "The morning after is always the toughest."

Trish nodded but kept silent. She knew that if she said a word, she would start bawling again in a second.

Lilian recalled something she'd found peculiar from the night before and perked up.

"Oh, I almost forgot... Edge called your cell phone last night."

The heartbroken woman in the bed looked up sharply.

"He did?"

"Yes... He was actually looking for Lita," the RAW announcer clarified. "He asked me for her room number." Lilian tilted her head slightly as she studied Trish's face. "He sounded pretty urgent about it, too."

The petite Canadian blinked as she thought about the meaning behind all of her friend's revelations. Then, "He wanted her room number...? You mean Edge was here?"

Lilian nodded.

"Oddly enough, yes." He was in this very hotel. I was about to give him the number, but the line suddenly went dead. I wonder if he ever found her?"

Trish's gaze was down as she considered what had happened. What had Edge been doing here? He was a SmackDown superstar. It was so strange. Unless...

"Oh, my God..." she breathed, her brown eyes closing as she cursed herself mentally. "Lil, he must have found out-" She pressed a hand to her mouth before speaking again. "Oh, no... I hope Christian didn't manage to-"

The slim blonde ring announcer's eyes widened at the unmistakable implication.

"Oh, Trish! You don't think-"

"Damn it!" the Canadian diva spat, her small right fist pounding the mattress in her anger at herself. "If she slept with Christian, I'll hate myself even more than I already do..." Tears welled up in Trish's eyes.

"Don't say that..."

"But it's my fault!" the blonde wrestler exclaimed. "Lilian, I chickened out of telling Lita the truth last night! And I was also too damned ashamed that Chris... that he did that to me to admit it to Lita..." She pressed a hand to her brow and shook her head sorrowfully. "I fed my best friend to the wolf - that wolf being Christian... I am just so horrible!"

"Trish, stop it," Lilian cut in. "You are not to blame, not at all! Besides," she continued, gesturing with the hand that wasn't holding the hairbrush, "we don't know that Lita slept with Christian. Maybe Edge stopped her from doing something she'd regret."

The unhappy blonde looked up and eyed her friend. A sniffle escaped her as she wiped at her teary eyes.

"You think so?"

"I think it's a good possibility. If you'd heard Edge's voice last night... I mean, he sounded frantic," the other woman said.

Trish bit her lip, hoping Lilian was right. If Christian had managed to make do on the disgusting bet he and Jericho had made, she'd never forgive herself.

Pushing back the blanket, the Canadian rose from the bed.

"I'm going to shower," she announced.

Lilian watched after her as she entered the bathroom, a sadness going through her. She hoped Trish would be all right.

Part 12

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	12. Chapter 12

Lita stepped out of the bathroom, still brushing her damp hair when she heard the knock at the door. She stared at it, wondering if she should even answer. What if it was Christian? He was just about the last person she wanted to see right now.

The knock sounded again, this time accompanied by a voice calling from the hallway.

"Lita? If you're in there, please let me in!"

It was Trish. Sighing, the redhead edged over to the door, unlocking it to let her friend in.

"Lita..." The little blonde grew sad at the look of her friend. The redhead looked so weary and tired, with dark circles under her eyes. And, if she didn't know better, she would swear it looked as though she'd been crying, too.

"Hi, Trish." The greeting had no gusto to it.

Trish's heart sank. She stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind her.

"I-I have to tell you something." She glanced around furtively, then met the redhead's eyes again. "Is Edge here?"

Lita shook her head.

"No. He was, but he left me alone this morning so I could shower and clean up... And how did you even know he was here?"

Trish bowed her head with shame.

"Lilian told me," she explained. "As it turns out, he called last night. He was concerned and was looking for you." She bit her lip softly, then continued. "But you obviously know that already."

The redhead nodded.

"So, you really _were_ with Lilian."

"Yeah, I was."

Lita raised her gaze, finding it difficult as she recalled what had almost occurred the night before.

"Well, thank goodness for that," she said.

Trish blushed. It wasn't so much from embarrassment, though. She knew. Judging by what her friend had just said, she _had_ to know.

"Lita, I'm so sorry... I should have told you."

The taller woman shook her head, waving her free hand as though to dismiss her.

"Are you mad at me?" the blonde asked, crestfallen at the thought. Tears began to well in her eyes.

Lita put her hairbrush down on the nearby nightstand.

"No," she said, "of course not." She moved forward to hug the shorter diva. "I'm not mad at you, Trish... I'm mad at _another_ Canadian with blond hair... One that isn't even worth mentioning," she spat.

"Oh, Lita," the blonde said, inwardly cringing at the sound of that. She pulled away from her friend and met her hazel eyes. The redhead looked pissed... And rightfully so. "Lita... Edge got to you in time... Didn't he?" she asked tentatively, in a very small voice. She held her breath, hoping the answer would be the one she wanted to hear.

"Thankfully, yes. But if he'd arrived just a minute or two later..." She scowled and shook her head, fury coursing through her. She didn't know if she was actually more angry with Christian for playing her, or at herself for buying into his entire act. Regardless, it all made her feel very cheap and used... Like he'd eyed her and seen a whore. And oh, how she hated him for it!

A moment later, an idea popped into her head, and she faced the blonde again.

"Have you had breakfast yet?"

Trish shook her head.

"No... I'm really not feeling much of an appetite this morning."

"Like hell," Lita swore. She put an arm around the smaller diva's slim shoulders, ushering her toward the door. "Those two pieces of crap are not worth it. C'mon, let's go down and get some breakfast. I have a little idea I wanna run by you."

Trish gazed up into the redhead's face. She wished she could feel just as angry as she now did, because maybe then she would actually feel better. But she hadn't moved past the heartbroken stage just yet, and it downright sucked.

"Okay."

"And we'll call Edge and Lilian to go meet us, too," Lita said as she grabbed her cell phone and flipped it open.


	13. Chapter 13

_RAW, December 8, 2003_

Lita's jaw set angrily as she faced Trish in the locker room. The little blonde had been sitting quietly, deep in thought, her hands folded in her lap when the sound of her friend's voice brought her back around.

"We're still doing this - right?"

Trish looked up at the other diva, sorrow written across her features. She had had a full week to reflect on what had happened. She had refused to answer her cell phone when she'd known Chris was the one calling. She'd played back the voicemails he'd left her but had erased them all afterward... Well, all but one. It had torn at her heart. He'd sounded so sad as he'd said he felt as though she were avoiding him, asking her what he'd done.

Trying her best to stay strong, the Canadian squared her shoulders and let out a breath. She nodded.

"Yeah... What Chris and Christian tried to pull was rotten, and they deserve to pay for it." She left out her thoughts that especially Christian should suffer after he'd nearly scored on that ridiculous bet. She could hardly believe it.

"Okay, good," the redhead said. "We are going to let them have it." She balled her right hand into a fist and punched the air. She liked to pretend she was punching that creepy little bastard Christian right in the nose. Oh, how she hated him for what he'd done to her. How dare he deceive her and use her - and all for the sake of a bet over a stupid Canadian dollar! She wished he were right here in front of her at that very minute. She would make him hurt and suffer, and then she would laugh at him.

"Lita!" Trish called, grabbing hold of her friend's arm. She peered into the taller woman's face, waving her free hand in front of her.

The redhead broke out of the bitter reverie and glanced her way.

"The show is starting... Come on, let's go out there." In reality, Trish was pretty much dreading this, but she wouldn't back down. She _couldn't_, because they couldn't let those two get away with their slimy little scheme. Besides, she had promised Lita. She didn't want the redhead angry or disappointed with her when they'd finally become friends. The last thing she wanted was for them to go back to being enemies.

The two divas slipped out into the hallway, each consumed by her own thoughts as they made their way to gorilla position. Trish held her breath and tried to pace herself as she willed away memories of all the pleasant times she and Jericho had shared.

Lita, on the other hand, was seething inside. She focused on her pain and humiliation, consumed by the thought of what might have happened had she actually had sex with the creep known as Christian the previous week. Thank goodness for Edge. He was a true friend, caring and warm, not at all like his brother. What would she have done without him?

She would have slept with Christian and lived to regret it.

They strode down the entry ramp and to the ring at a deliberate pace as Lilian's melodious voice announced them. Trish held her breath as her gaze caught sight of Chris Jericho. They were already in the ring, each man holding a bouquet of red roses and vowing that they wanted to apologize. _Could he possibly be sincere?_ she wondered.

"Trish... Trish, Lita, thank God you're here... Christian and I wanted to explain," Jericho said into the microphone he held. "And we wanted to ask you ladies if we could start over."

"That's right, Lita." This time, it was Christian who spoke, and the redhead's guard shot up in an instant. Her eyes narrowed, all the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as he went on. "We wanted to give you a peace offering." He held up the roses.

Trish entered the ring via the steel steps, with the redhead right behind her. The two divas came to stand several feet away from the men, nearly halfway across the ring.

Chris Jericho closed the distance first. He extended his hand, offering the blonde the bouquet, and he smiled when she took it. However, her face still donned an expression of uncertainty.

"I knew you'd come out here. Trish, you know that we have something special," he drawled. "And you know that I would never do anything to hurt you."

Lita rolled her eyes as she listened to his lines. She couldn't even bring herself to look at Christian, who wasn't saying anything for himself at this point.

"And Trish, you know it was all just a joke. You're my soulmate, Trish!"

The little blonde stared into the man's crystal-blue eyes, absorbing all of his words. And it was his last sentence that suddenly hit home... He _wasn't_ being sincere. He was trying to sweet-talk her into giving him another chance, trying to insult her intelligence.

Christian moved directly into Lita's line of vision and handed her the bouquet of roses in his hand. He raised the mic up to his lips and spoke so softly, she almost didn't hear him.

"I'm sorry, Lita."

"Give us another chance, ladies," Chris said pleadingly. "Please?"

Lita and Trish exchanged glances and seemingly read one another's minds. Then, each diva smiling, they moved closer to the guys, as though to hug them. The redhead brought the fragrant roses up to her nose to inhale their lovely scent, but this was just a ploy. In seconds, she brought the bouquet down onto Christian's head, bashing him with it.

Trish did the same to Jericho, and before she knew it, she was using her fists. She battered the blond man repeatedly until he fell and rolled himself out of the ring.

His friend followed suit as Lita decked him, and the two retreated up the ramp. The crowd cheered the women on loudly, and Trish was all but deaf to that as she glared after Jericho. For once, she didn't feel tears behind her eyelids. And to her, that was a relief.


	14. Chapter 14

Trish and Lita returned to the backstage area, neither all that worried about a backlash for their actions. The redhead even had a slight bounce in her step. Damn, but it had felt good to let that creep have it!

"You really should be proud of yourself, you know," she said as she faced her blonde friend. "I know how difficult that must have been for you."

Trish's smile faded as reality came sailing back at her. It had been easier to confront Chris as she'd been out there, listening to his lines. But now she had to deal with the aftermath of it. What would happen now? What if he attacked her? Or, perhaps, even worse, what if he tried to talk to her one-on-one and got inside her head and heart again?

"Thank you, Lita." She nodded. "And you're right. It _was_ difficult. At first."

The redhead cocked her head to listen, as she sensed her friend had more to say.

"But listening to him out there... It was like he was feeding me all these lines, like he was reciting a play he memorized. I... I didn't believe him."

Lita smiled and gently clapped a hand onto her shoulder. She patted it.

"Good."

"And how about you? How do you feel now that you've confronted that slimeball?" the little blonde practically spat. Just thinking about Christian made her feel dirty.

"Me? I feel marvelous," the taller diva answered. It was only partly the truth. While she did feel good about letting Christian know, unmistakably, how she felt about being manipulated, made into a fool and used, she felt pretty low about what had almost happened between them. Yet, at the same time, she knew she should feel good that it _hadn't_ happened. And that thought reminded her of Edge.

"Oh, you know what?" she began, glancing around the hallway. "I'm gonna go find Edge." She hooked a thumb over her shoulder.

"Okay," Trish said. "See you later." She turned and was about to go into the divas' locker room when the sound of clapping nearby stopped her. Somewhat startled, she cast a glance over her shoulder.

"Bravo... Way to go!"

The blonde couldn't help herself and found a smile make its way back to her lips. Go figure that he would be the first male superstar to applaud her for what she'd just done. She bit her lip and shyly approached Rob Van Dam.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it." He was getting a strange flashback of the previous night, only they'd been in front of a soda machine. He allowed his eyes to scan over the beautiful blonde in as subtle a way as he could manage. "So, how do you feel now?" he asked.

Trish smiled as she looked into Rob's light brown eyes. He had about the most pleasant face she'd ever seen on a guy. Even when he wasn't smiling, it looked like he _should_ be.

"Pretty good, actually," she replied. This time, it was the truth. She felt so validated, especially now that Van Dam had said such nice, encouraging things to her.

"You know, I'm surprised," he said. "I kinda figured those two idiots were going to grab you and Lita."

The diva's smile vanished at that thought. What if Jericho and Christian tried that at another occasion? And what if it happened in private and not out in the ring or something? Jeez... Now she was worried. She wouldn't put it past those two to do that - especially the creepy little bastard.

"I was afraid I was gonna have to run out there and put a hurting on them," Rob concluded.

Trish's bright and beautiful smile returned. Van Dam gave her a wink. He took gentle hold of her wrist, causing her to look down at the contact.

"I mean that, Trish. I really do."

The tiny blonde gazed at the man with wonder.

"Thank you, Rob."

"Don't mention it."

She smiled. It seemed that was his trademark quote whenever they spoke. Suddenly, she was feeling even more miles better.

Rob nudged her on the shoulder, clearing his throat as an idea came to him.

"Hey, if you ever decide you want a little more payback on Jericho, I'd be happy to tag with you in an intergender match."

Trish arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. That was a thought. Of course, she hoped it would never come down to her actually having to step into the ring with Chris... but if it came down to that, she would love for Rob to be her partner. She nodded with appreciation.

"Sounds great."

Van Dam smiled, his gaze lingering on the beautiful diva a beat longer. Then, he came back to his senses, realizing a very important fact.

"Well," he said, "I'd better get a move-on." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "Got a match to prepare for. Catch you later, Trish."

The little blonde's smile waned just a bit. She waved at him as he started retreating away down the other end of the hallway.

"Later, Rob."


	15. Chapter 15

"You took a big risk out there, you know."

Lita met the emerald gaze of Edge and nodded reluctantly, knowing he was right.

"I know," she said, "but Edge, I _had_ to do that. Trish too! We stood up for ourselves, and for all women who have ever suffered humiliation at the hands of men like them."

The tall blond man ran a hand through his long curls and nodded. He understood that the two divas had felt a need to do what they'd done, but what kind of repercussions awaited them? He knew there had to be some. He knew his slimy brother and knew how he operated.

"I understand that, Li," he assured her, standing up to place his hands on her shoulders. "But what about now?"

When the redhead merely shrugged, he continued.

"What if they retaliate?"

She lowered her head, realizing she hadn't really thought of that. All she'd cared about was exposing those two for the jerks that they were, and for letting Christian know that she didn't appreciate his little scheme against her. She suspected Trish, on the other hand, had probably had such worries in her mind, but being timid, she hadn't shared them with her. Lita suddenly felt bad, as she'd sort of 'bullied' the blonde into doing this with her.

The redhead sighed, raising her gaze to that of her friend.

"I guess I hadn't thought of that," she admitted. Yes, she'd acted rashly.

The two friends exchanged odd glances as they suddenly heard shouts out in the arena hallway. Then, Edge's expression grew hard, and he held a hand up to the diva. As she stood there, the blond stalked to the door, opening it a couple of inches.

Chris Jericho and Christian had returned to the backstage area. The two men were yelling, calling for Lita and Trish. Edge felt his ire increase as they neared. He balled his hand into a fist, wanting to pummel his brother for the second time in two days.

"Where are you, bitches?!" Christian hollered, his hands cupped around his mouth, head held high.

Jericho, on the other hand, wasn't as nasty for some reason.

"Trish! Come on, where are you?!" he yelled.

Edge suddenly realized that Lita had sidled up over to him. He felt her touch his shoulder as she attempted to peer out the door and caught the look on her face - one of pure anger.

"I should go find out what the hell he wants now." She tried slipping past the tall blond man, but he held her back with one arm.

"No... Not a good idea."

She shook her head and seemed on the verge of protesting when a new voice hit their ears.

"What the hell is wrong with the two of you?!"

Lita and Edge exchanged glances. That was RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff who was speaking - or rather, yelling.

"Get in my office - _now_!" they heard him order.

Jericho and Christian's voices suddenly sounded a bit farther away, and Lita knew they were groaning, as they had apparently gotten into trouble. Good!

--

Bischoff glared at the blond men as he nearly slammed the door to his office. He turned back to eye them and came over, around his desk to sit. He pointed at the chairs situated on the other side, directing them to take a seat as well.

"What's wrong with you?" he demanded. "I can't have the two of you running around _my_ hallways yelling at the top of your lungs like maniacs!"

Jericho appeared more cowed as he lowered his blue eyes. He sat pretty still, his hands folded in his lap.

"Sorry, Eric."

Christian gave him a look but quickly shifted his gaze to the General Manager.

"Eric - didn't you _see_ what those two bitches did to us out there?"

Bischoff pursed his lips together in annoyance as he eyed the short-haired Canadian.

"Yes... Yes, as a matter of fact, I _did_," he snapped. After a beat, his expression abruptly changed, becoming a grin.

Jericho and Christian exchanged glances with one another, each man utterly confused.

"And that's exactly why I'm giving you a tag team match against them at Armageddon."

A slow, malicious grin spread across the short-haired blond's face as it all sank in. Jericho, on the other hand, didn't appear quite as thrilled.

"What?"

Christian patted him in the chest, the smile still plastered on his face.

"We're getting them in the ring!" he practically sang. "This is _awesome_!" He couldn't wait to teach Lita a lesson!

Y2J raised one hand to his jaw, as it still ached just a tad after Trish had slapped him. The truth was, he didn't like this idea. He may not truly have had _that_ deep of feelings towards the blonde diva, but he still cared enough not to want to face her in the ring.

He simply stared back and forth between the two other man as they planned and strategized.


	16. Chapter 16

Lita and Trish looked up as Gail Kim stood over them, hands on her hips as she repeated herself.

"Didn't you two just hear me? I said, Eric Bischoff wants to see you in his office - _now_."

The two other divas exchanged glances, with the redhead rolling her eyes. Trish, who was definitely by no means intimidated by the other Canadian, stood up to her full height to face her.

"Yeah, we _heard_ you, Gail. We're just not going to jump just because you told us to," she snapped. Although the dark-haired Asian diva had been pretty nice to her upon entering the WWE several months earlier, she'd gotten to be quite the bitch after spending so much time with Molly Holly. And after all the months Gail had spent in contributing to making her miserable, Trish was not about to even acknowledge her in a civil way.

"Fine. Whatever!" the former Women's Champion snapped back. "What do _I_ care if you two get in trouble with the GM?" She scoffed and then turned away from them to do her own thing.

Trish stared at the obnoxious woman for a beat before turning back to her friend. Sighing lightly, she gestured toward the door.

"Come on, we might as well get this over with," she said. "Besides, I don't like the atmosphere in here now." She noticed Gail shooting her a disgusted look as she and Lita departed through the locker room door.

"What could Bischoff possibly want?" the redhead asked as they began making their way to the General Manager's office.

Trish shrugged and said, "Beats the hell out of me... But we'll definitely find out soon enough."

They reached the right room, complete with an engraved plaque of the GM's name tacked up on the door. Exchanging glances with the little blonde, Lita nodded and knocked.

"Come on in!" they heard the man's voice call from within.

Bischoff smiled at the sight of them, two of the top divas RAW had to offer. He rose from his desk and gestured to the chairs set in the room.

"Ladies, so good of you to come at such short notice. Sit - please sit!" the man insisted.

They exchanged glances again with each wondering why Bischoff was being so nice to them. It hadn't been too long ago, after all, that he had fired Lita for having lost a mixed tag match against himself and Molly Holly.

Trish sat in the chair further into the room while the redhead took the other. They glanced at him in anticipation, neither speaking a word. Well, that was fine, because once he revealed his little surprise, they would both have plenty to say.

"I understand you two have had your problems with Y2J and Christian." He smiled even more as the women's expressions changed somewhat. He was going to thoroughly enjoy this. To his surprise, Lita did the honors and spoke.

"Yes, we have - we definitely have." She eyed the General Manager with a measure of suspicion. She knew the man too well and wondered what he was getting at with the comment.

"Well, ladies," Bischoff continued, his gaze going from Lita to Trish, "good news! At Armageddon, you're going to have the opportunity to prove to the two of them, yourselves and the entire world, that you're better than them!"

Trish's brow furrowed at his words, and she looked over to her redheaded friend. What was Eric saying? More importantly, she hoped he wasn't saying what she _thought_.

Lita stared at the man, seething. She made no attempt to mask her feelings, eihter, as she was sure she knew just where he was going with his little announcement.

"Congratulations, Lita... Trish," Bischoff practically sang. "You two are going to be making history. Because you see... you two are going to be competing in the first ever Battle of the Sexes tag team match!" He rubbed his hands together, relishing in his brilliant idea.

The blonde's eyes widened in fear while the redhead's narrowed in anger. Trish shook her head, her voice quivering slightly as she spoke.

"Eric, y-you can't be serious! You're putting _us_ in the ring with two men?!"

Bischoff nodded with much enthusiasm. He enjoyed seeing Trish Stratus squirm. The pretty blonde Canadian had always been so strong and tough, sure of herself... Yet, in the last couple of months, she'd become quite the opposite - timid, weak, meek. He'd loved every second of that and was grateful toward Jericho and Christian for taking her down an octave or so.

"You planned this with them, didn't you?"

The General Manager's attention shifted to the high flying redhead. Lita had her head cocked to one side, her face reflecting disgust. Her arms were crossed lightly over her chest as she eyed him.

Eric grinned. He couldn't help it.

"The boys came to me _begging_ for revenge after the little stunt you pulled earlier. And I was more than happy to give them exactly what they wanted." Okay, so he might have exaggerated a bit about Chris Jericho, who hadn't seemed enthusiastic... But he didn't care to tell them that.

As Trish appeared terrified, her face now white as a ghost, Lita continued to stare daggers into him. He had nothing more to say. The redhead sensed as much.

"Come on, Trish. We're _out_ of here." The taller woman rose and tapped her friend's shoulder.

The little blonde got up and followed, staring at the GM in horror from over her shoulder until they departed the room.


	17. Chapter 17

Eric Bischoff grinned as he stood in the center of the ring, a mic in hand.

"Excuse me, people - I have a little announcement to make... and it concerns what you can expect to see at Armageddon next Sunday," he announced. He couldn't keep the grin off his face, as part of it made him extremely giddy. He had no compunction for the people who disrespected him, and this would be enjoyable.

Lilian Garcia sat in her usual spot by the timekeeper's table, her gaze fixed on the General Manager. She, like all the fans in attendance that night, was curious as to what he was about to announce.

"For your viewing pleasure," Bischoff began, "we will have Women's Champion Molly Holly defend her title against Victoria and Gail Kim in a triple-threat match."

The ring announcer could barely hear the man after awhile, as he was on the receiving end of so many boos. The fans were especially loud that night.

"We're going to witness the next round of former friends going for the jugular!" Eric announced. "Triple H will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels in a last man standing match!"

This time, the crowd cheered like crazy upon hearing that a favorite would be getting such an opportunity.

"We will be witnessing the first ever Battle of the Sexes tag team match as Lita and Trish Stratus face Y2J Chris Jericho and Christian!"

Lilian's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped with shock. She knew she'd heard correctly this time. Trish and Lita were being put into a match against those two? That was insane! She glanced around, exchanging quick looks with JR and Jerry "The King" Lawler, who both looked equally shocked.

"Lita and Trish against the two men who made a bet for a whole Canadian dollar to bag them? Come on," JR cried, "that's just not fair!"

As Bischoff continued to gloat in the center of the ring, familiar theme music suddenly blared throughout the arena. A scowl came to Lilian's pretty face as the lights cut to highlight the man who was making his arrival and interrupting the RAW General Manager.

Triple H did not look one bit pleased, a sour expression dominating his face as he slowly walked down the ramp. Despite his annoyance, he did his usual schtick and took a sip from the water bottle he held in his left hand.

Eric Bischoff's grin wiped clearly off his face as he watched The Game make his way over. How dare he interrupt his announcement! He didn't care if he _was_ the World Heavyweight Champion - no one did that to him!

Triple H stepped into the ring in his off-white tailored suit, his attention suddenly focused on Lilian for a moment. He waved at her with a smile, ignoring the look of disgust his ex-girlfriend gave him in return. Then, without a microphone of his own in hand, he faced the GM.

"Okay, enough of the niceties and enough of the crap... Eric, do my ears deceive me? Did I hear you say that Shawn Michaels is getting a shot at yours truly for the World title at Armageddon? And in a last man standing match?"

Bischoff, not at all amused, faced the other man squarely and nodded.

"You heard correctly," he said. "And I expect it to be off the charts. But I _don't_ like being interrupted, Hunter... Not even by the World Heavyweight Champion."

The Game smirked at him. Laughing a little, he reached out and patted the smaller man's cheek.

"Well, that's just too bad for you, Eric... Because I do _what_ I want, _when_ I want." He laughed at him again. "Now, what I want to talk about is Shawn Michaels," he continued, the smile dropping from his face. "He doesn't deserve a shot at _my_ championship! He's a washed up has-been and isn't even worthy of lacing up my boots." He kept barking into the mic, shouting insults about his Armageddon opponent - until the Heartbreak Kid's theme song suddenly issued through the loudspeakers.

Shawn appeared at the top of the stage with a microphone. He glared seriously at his foe in the ring.

"Hunter, you know, you talk so tough all the way over there, but how about we discuss this face-to-face, man-to-man?"

"Back off, Michaels - you're not even worthy of standing in the same ring with me!"

HBK started walking at his normal pace down the ramp. He was in no hurry despite his onetime friend's harsh comments. However, as he neared, Triple H scurried out, leaving Bischoff standing alone in the squared circle. Like a coward, The Game ran over to Shawn and attempted to punch him.

The Heartbreak Kid blocked the blow, delivering one of his own. Triple H staggered backward but soon recovered, and the two went at it, throwing punches right and left. Eventually, the World Champion fell to the arena floor, his gold title belt forgotten as he managed to get away. However, instead of running up the ramp to the safety of the back, he headed for the timekeeper's area.

Lilian's ire increased as she realized Hunter was headed straight for her. What the hell did he think he was doing? She got her answer seconds later as he made a grab for her, holding the petite blonde in front of him like a shield as HBK caught up to him, his fists up but lowering. There was no way he was going to strike a woman.

Triple H laughed cruelly as he suddenly gave the ring announcer a shove forward, sending her sailing directly into Shawn. He ran away around the other side of the ring as Lilian fell, not seeing or caring as he fled up the ramp to safety.

Shawn bent over to help the woman, who was wincing and clutching her right ankle. That damned cowardly bastard... He gathered Lilian up in his arms, his head whipping back to glare murderously at his hated enemy. All Hunter gave a crap about was his World title belt, for which he was gesturing. Eric Bischoff did the honors of retrieving it where it lay on the arena floor and delivered it to him.

Lilian clung onto Shawn as Bischoff's voice suddenly came clearly through the mic he still held.

"Nice work, Hunter... I'm sure you'll walk out of Armageddon as the last man standing - and _still_ champion!"


	18. Chapter 18

**_A/N: Thanks to snapescelticgirl and Dizzle the Lord of Superstars for reviewing the last chapter. :) And haha, 'Triple Hosebeast' is a very apt nickname for Triple H! ;)_**

Shawn carried her all the way to the back, and once they were past the curtain and gorilla position, he tried setting her back on her feet.

Lilian winced as a jolt of pain shot up her left ankle. She had to reach out for the Heartbreak Kid's arm to steady herself.

"Hurts that bad, huh?" the man asked. "Damn Hunter!"

The blonde glanced down at her injured bodypart, noticing that it was already beginning to swell. She raised her head to meet Shawn's kind blue eyes.

"Thank you for coming to my aid, Shawn."

He held up his free hand while the other held her so that she could retain her balance.

"No need for thanks," he protested. "You were a lady in distress, and I _had_ to help you." He looked her over, then raised his eyes back to meet hers. The pretty ring announcer surely had to be in plenty of pain. Her ankle was already swollen, and he knew the darkened bruise would appear later. He gestured to her with a tilt of his head.

"Come on," the man said, "let's get you to the trainer's room."

--

"Man, this is gonna be great!" Christian clapped a hand to Chris' shoulder as he gloated, clearly unable to contain himself.

Jericho gave him an odd look. While he wasn't thrilled about Trish and Lita recently humiliating them, he wasn't exactly looking forward to facing them at Armageddon. He shook his head.

"Christian, I really don't like this. I don't know how you can be so happy about it. Look at you," he went on, making a face, "you're almost _giddy_!"

"You bet your ass I am!" the short-haired blond man agreed. His expression grew serious. "Lita humiliated me, Chris - badly... and I don't just mean last week on RAW, with the roses and the punching." His blue eyes glittered dangerously. "We were literally about to seal the deal. I was seconds away from winning the bet - and she fucking rejected me!"

Jericho stared at him for a beat. He wasn't sure he liked the look in his friend's eyes. He seemed a little... manic.

"Wasn't that Edge's fault?"

Christian set his jaw angrily, frowning. That was true. His brother had somehow, as though by magic, shown up at the most inopportune time. He loathed him for coming in like some hero and interfering! He didn't bother giving Chris an answer and instead opted to get himself back into a good mood.

"Do we have an awesome General Manager, or what?" He raised both arms in front of his chest, fists clenched, and he brought them down in a happy 'yes!' gesture. "Who else would have given us such a great match?"

Both blond men turned their heads toward someone at the sound of a sigh. Rob Van Dam was standing just a small distance from them in the hallway. He shook his head and neared them.

"What are _you_ looking at, jerky?" Jericho demanded.

"Two idiots," Van Dam replied. "No - make that two _cowardly_ idiots." He gave each man a look of disgust. "You guys are really pathetic. So, you're going to be fighting _women_ now?" he muttered.

"Get lost, Van Dam," Christian spat. "We're trying to have a private conversation. This doesn't concern you!"

Rob glared at the Canadian, his arms crossing over his chest. He stepped a little closer and squarely met the other man's eyes as he spoke.

"Actually, yeah, it _does_ concern me... Trish and Lita are both friends of mine. And if you two slimy worms think for one second that you're gonna get away with what you've done to them," he said, narrowing his eyes, "you got another thing coming."

"Oh, yeah?" Christian challenged. He stepped a bit closer to Van Dam, not appearing threatened at all as Chris came to stand right behind him. "Well, there's only one of you and _two_ of us. If you're really looking for trouble, we can provide it for you."

They stood toe-to-toe for a beat until a new voice suddenly chimed in.

"Correction, it's _two_ of us." Edge stepped out from a corridor and came over to join Rob, standing directly by his side. He glared at his much shorter brother, smirking as he spoke again. "You never _were_ all that good at math, huh, Christian?"

Jericho dropped his jaw for just the tiniest fraction of a second. He was truly surprised and hadn't expected to see Edge at all. Of course, he knew the tall blond man had shown up at that hotel room on that fateful night to prevent Christian from consummating his 'relationship' with Lita... But now, it seemed as though the Canadian was a part of the RAW roster.

Christian said nothing, instead opting to purse his lips together in silence. He glowered at his brother, then at Van Dam again before nudging Chris and turning to leave.


	19. Chapter 19

"Oh, God, Lilian! Are you okay?" Trish's face was a mask of concern as she hurried over to her friend. The ring announcer was in the trainer's room, her leg elevated as the man examined her. Her ankle was swollen, and the blonde hissed between her teeth in sympathy at the sight.

"I _will_ be," the other blonde replied as her friend came into her room. "Thank goodness for Shawn here."

Trish's gaze followed that of the other diva's to the Heartbreak Kid, who stood on one side of the table.

"Thank goodness for Shawn indeed."

The Canadian was grateful that the man had been so kind and caring. Who knew what else might have happened to Lilian had he not tended to her and rushed her out of the ringside area when he had? She shuddered, not wanting to think about it.

"Shucks, ladies," Michaels said in a self-effacing manner. He ducked his head for a split second. Then, "I _had_ to do it... I _wanted_ to. I see a lady in distress and have to act." Shawn shrugged. "It's the way I was raised."

Lilian smiled and met his kind blue eyes.

Trish watched the two for a moment in silence. If she didn't know better, she could swear she saw a bit more than just appreciation there. She sensed a bit of a spark. If her hunch was indeed correct, this could only be a good thing for Lilian - a very good thing.

Coming out of her wondering moment, the little blonde turned to the trainer.

"Jim, how is she? Will she be all right?"

"Yes, she'll be fine," the man replied. At this point, he was wrapping gauze around the ring announcer's ankle. "It's just a sprain. She'll have to take it easy the next week or longer, depending on how long it hurts." Jim then turned his focus completely on Lilian. "And be sure to administer an ice pack at least three times a day for the swelling. That's the quickest way to get over this type of injury."

"I'll be sure to do that." Lilian somehow managed to tear her gaze away from HBK just long enough to meet the trainer's eyes. "Thank you, Jim."

As Trish continued to eye her friend along with Shawn, the other diva winced as she was helped off the examining table. She leaned on the Showstopper as she suddenly recalled an announcement made by Eric Bischoff before she'd been injured.

"Oh, my gosh, Trish... I nearly forgot."

The Canadian diva waited for her friend to continue.

"Is it true that you and Lita are going to be in a match against Chris Jericho and Christian?" she concluded. Her blue eyes were widened with horror as she awaited the answer.

As the trio made their way back out into the hallway, with Lilian hobbling, Trish nearly flinched. She cast her gaze onto the floor, swallowing hard as she nodded.

"Unfortunately, yes... It's true."

"My God, Trish!" She felt her friend's slender hand suddenly on her shoulder. "How awful! Eric really is a no-good snake..." Lilian shook her head in contempt, but then concern came back into her features. "What... What are you going to do?"

The Canadian blonde took a deep breath and sighed. Her gaze went from the ring announcer to Shawn, who clearly looked concerned in spite of his silence. She shifted her gaze back to Lilian and said, "I don't know... I guess I'm going to get in that ring at Armageddon. I'm not a coward or a quitter," she went on. "So, I'm going to give it my all and fight." She shrugged hopelessly.

The other two eyed her with sympathy. Finally, Lilian raised a hand and placed it on her arm.

"Hang in there, girl. You're not alone. Just remember that."

Trish smiled weakly.

--

Eric Bischoff rolled his eyes in exasperation. This was about the last thing he'd wanted or expected.

"You're not gonna get away with this, Bischoff! Mark my words." Rob Van Dam gave him the dirtiest look he could manage.

Standing at the Whole Dam Show's left was Edge. The tall Canadian had started this entire thing, yelling and carrying on just as they had come, unannounced and uninvited, into his office.

"Is that so, gentlemen?" the General Manager countered. "Well, we'll just _see_ about that, won't we?"

"Is it that you _want_ to end up in traction in the hospital, Eric?" Edge asked. A quick glance his way showed how angry the blond man looked at that moment. "Who the hell do you think you are, putting two defenseless women in there with two guys?"

Bischoff crossed his arms and smirked.

"I'd love to hear you say that in front of your precious Lita... because I highly doubt she would enjoy you calling her 'defenseless.'" The GM grew angry again and let the two men see it. "And I think - no, I _know_ - that I am your _boss_!"

"You're really a piece of work," Edge countered. "Yeah, Lita and Trish are tough, but they're _still_ women."

"You know what?" Eric shouted. "This discussion of _over_! Now, I suggest you get your asses out of here..." The cruel smile returned to his face. "... Unless you gentlemen want to find yourselves out of a job."

Glaring, both men didn't say another word as they marched for the door.

Once out in the hallway, Van Dam groaned and addressed Edge in a hushed voice.

"Damn him! We have to do something, no matter what he says."

"Agreed," the Canadian said. "And we _will_... Come on, let's get back to the locker room. I have an idea."


	20. Chapter 20

_**A/N: Thanks to Instant Classic Superstar Pac for the last review! :-D I'll definitely take your idea into consideration for this story. Finally, here's a new chapter, hope it meets to you readers' liking!**_

_Armageddon_

"This is gonna be awesome!" Christian said with much vigor. He stretched a bit and studied the face of his friend and tag team partner. However, Jericho just didn't seem with it, still didn't appear enthusiastic about the match like he did. "Oh, snap out of it, Chris!"

"Christian, they're women... _women_."

"So?" The short-haired man shrugged. "They were bitches toward us... Didn't you feel stupid when they were hitting us the other week? And in front of the _world_?"

Jericho eyed him.

"Well... yeah."

"So - there you go," Christian replied. "They deserve a little payback."

The self-proclaimed King of the World stayed silent but still didn't seem convinced.

"The match is already set," his partner reminded him. "If we go out there and do nothing, Bischoff will be mighty pissed."

"Well, yeah, that's true," Y2J thought aloud.

Christian swatted him in the chest.

"So, that's that. It's settled. Let's just go out there and teach those broads not to mess with real men like us."

Jericho eyed his friend unsurely but followed him out of the locker room.

*

As she studied her reflection in the mirror, Trish felt somewhat sick to her stomach.

Her long blonde hair had been styled and slightly curled to perfection. She had on a brand new ring outfit in gold and black, and her makeup was flawless. She looked like a million bucks... but she felt downright awful.

It wasn't merely the fact that she was scheduled to face up against someone she'd loved. But she would also be facing two _men_. What on earth had possessed that slimy rat General Manager to enable such a match to even take place? She knew she was tough as nails, as was Lita... However, like it or not, they were still nowhere near as strong as the two men slated to be their opponents for the night.

She wondered where the redhead had gone. A few minutes earlier, she had excused herself, saying she had to do something. Lita hadn't returned to the women's locker room. Trish realized their match would be happening soon, so she decided to head out to the hallway to wait.

She was standing with her back against the wall, so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed the man who sidled up to her. Her gaze was down as her head focused on the upcoming match, and she nearly jumped at the sudden touch on her arm.

"Hey there, didn't mean to scare you. Sorry."

Trish sighed with relief and shook her head.

"It's okay, Rob. I didn't see you," she said as Van Dam studied her face. "I'm just a bit wrapped up in my thoughts."

"Understandable," the man said, giving her a sympathetic look. "But don't be too worried." He winked.

The little blonde found it impossible to smile in spite of his friendliness. How could she _not_ worry, considering what type of match she was about to endure?

"That's easier said than done," she murmured. Her gaze dropped to the floor as the uneasy feeling returned physically in the form of her stomach churning.

"Yeah, well... you'll be fine out there."

She eyed him strangely, doing her best to resist the pout she felt coming. His overconfidence in her was a bit unnerving rather than flattering. Yes, she would probably be fine if she could just nail both Chris and Christian with her Chick Kick, but how on earth would that even happen? They were having a match together. The only way she could envision gaining the upper hand was if she and Lita could somehow double-team each man in turn, or else nail them when they weren't expecting it. The former couldn't possibly happen because the referee wouldn't allow it. And the latter couldn't happen because one or the other of the opponents would have to be on the apron and not legal in the ring - and the legal man would never let her or Lita get away with a sneak attack on his partner. It was hopeless, which was exactly how Trish felt.

She had no response for him this time, just a look from her despondent brown eyes. She sighed heavily and crossed her arms lightly over her chest.

"No worries," RVD said jovially, a bit too much for the blonde's liking. She wasn't getting his easygoing attitude, not this time. He came a little closer to her to gently brush her cheek with the knuckles of his right hand in an affectionate manner.

"Keep your chin up, Trish... And I'll see you out there." He winked again and left.

As Trish continued to wait for Lita, Van Dam's last few words didn't even click inher head. But she would soon realize exactly how significant they were.


	21. Chapter 21

Lita looked up abruptly as a stagehand came over. He whispered something to her for a moment, which caused the redhead to shoot her head up to turn and face another wrestler standing nearby. A small smile came to her face at the realization that Edge was standing there.

"Wait right here... I'll be right back."

Trish stood and bit her lip as the taller diva made her brisk way toward Edge. In the meantime, she wrung her hands in nervousness. But her guard shot up as a couple of familiar yet unwelcome male voices neared.

Trish's brown eyes narrowed as she fixed them on Chris Jericho and Christian, who were heading right toward her. She swallowed hard, not wanting them to know the true emotions currently gripping her.

"So..." Christian remarked, a smirk dominating his face. "... All alone, huh? Well, see ya out there." He snickered. "And don't expect any mercy out of us, bitch. You can pass that message on to Lita, too."

Jericho didn't utter a syllable, though he stood by watching the exchange.

"Fuck you," Trish managed to mutter.

The short-haired blond man let out booming laughter this time. Although he'd had his attentions solely focused on Lita, he had to admit that Trish was cute.

"Maybe I'll have to take you up on that."

The blonde diva made a face that was half-shock and half-disgust. Y2J, on the other hand, shot his friend and tag team partner a dark look. He kept his crystal-blue gaze fixed on Christian as the other man led him away.

Trish's jaw was still slack, with her mouth hanging open a short while later as Lita returned.

"What's wrong?" she asked, frowning.

"Those two idiots were just here," she told her friend. "I said 'fuck you' to Christian, and he said he might 'take me up on my offer!'" She huffed and shook her head. "Of all the _nerve_!"

The redhead rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Oh, did he?" she asked. "And that surprises you _why_?" She waved a hand in dismissal. "Come on, we've got to get out there." She realized her theme music was playing. "I'll see you in a minute." Giving her friend a reassuring pat on the shoulder, the high-flyer walked past the curtain to go out into the arena.

Once on the ramp, Lita made her usual entrance, acknowledging the fans in the crowd and the whole nine yards. She refused to let the two jackasses in the ring know that she was actually nervous. Sure, she had gotten into the ring with men, had had matches against them before. He'll, she'd _trained_ with men as the sole female in her wrestling school. But the difference here was that she would be facing _two_ rather than just one.

The bubbly feminine giggle suddenly sounded through the arena's speakers, signaling Trish's entrance. Lita turned to glance up the ramp, and her reluctant friend made her way out. Unlike her, the blonde clearly exhibited that she didn't want to be here and wanted no part of this match. She didn't even do her customary gesture of acknowledging the crowd.

Trish's intense gaze was trained on the two blond men in the ring. She felt Lita's hand pat her on the arm, and her friend saying, 'Come on.' Reluctantly, she followed her into the ring, coming to stand beside her in their corner. Then, surprising Lita but perhaps herself even more, she volunteered to start the match.

On the opposite side of the squared circle, Jericho mouthed something to Christian, who then stepped over the middle rope to his corner. The truth was, Chris hadn't changed his mind about this Battle of the Sexes match. He _did_ like Trish, to an extent, and he honestly didn't want her to get hurt - that was why he'd insisted on starting things off.

Jericho realized he at least wanted to be able to continue being friends with Trish. It seemed ludicrous, even to himself, since he'd used her in such a sleazy, creepy way - but he _did_. He neared her in the center of the ring, his facial expression placid as he tried to speak to her.

The little blonde wouldn't have any of it. An angry look taking over her countenance, she reached back, slapping him hard across the face.

Y2J's head rocked to the side from the force of the blow. He turned back to face her, surprised, but then she shocked him even more as she shot into action, delivering forearm shots to him in a hurry.

From the apron, Lita shouted, cheering Trish on. She was actually getting some good offense in on Jericho, who wasn't even fighting back. As far as she was concerned, this was a good start. She hoped they could keep up the momentum. Maybe, just _maybe_, they could actually _win_ this match.


	22. Chapter 22

_**A/N: Thanks to Nadia and JJ for the last set of reviews! :D I was very pleasantly surprised to see that this story had gotten reviews again, when I thought no one was reading anymore. Here's the new chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! ;)**_

Lita wasn't quite sure what had caused the crowd to suddenly grow collectively loud with cheers. One minute, she was getting shoved down to the canvas by Christian, and the next, she was nearly deafened by the noise.

Trish, who was on the apron, had more of a vantage point as she cast a perplexed look over her shoulder. In a flash, two men slid into the ring to attack their opponents. She gasped as Christian was speared to the mat by his own brother, and Chris was shoved off the apron by Rob Van Dam.

The redhead, shocked, scurried out of harm's way to go to her friend. The two divas exchanged glances and then watched the melee ensue. Edge and Van Dam clearly had the upper hand, as the two blond men hadn't been expecting this ambush. The referee called for the bell, signaling an abrupt end to the Battle of the Sexes match that had barely gotten underway.

All of a sudden, a microphoned and very irate voice cut through the noise from the crowd.

"Hold on just a minute there!"

Lita and Trish turned in the direction of the entry ramp to see Eric Bischoff at its very top. The General Manager looked none too pleased, and that was an understatement.

Referees that had rushed out to the ring to break it up between Jericho and Christian and Edge and Van Dam somehow managed to hold the four grapplers back.

"You boys wanna play, do you?" Bischoff spat. "You wanna play white knights to these two so-called damsels in distress? I don't think so!"

The GM was met with a rousing chorus of boos from the fans in attendance for the show. Eric didn't care. He ignored them and went on.

"I expected a match! These _people_ expected a match! And if we can't have the one we planned on, then we're gonna have ourselves a regular tag team contest!"

Rob and Edge exchanged glances and grinned at one another. The latter nodded, as he had no problem with that idea.

"Ring the damn bell!" Bischoff barked. "It's now going to be Christian and Chris Jericho against Edge and Rob Van Dam!"

Trish sucked a breath of relief between her teeth. To say she was grateful the original match was now called off would be putting things mildly.

Lita felt grateful as well as she thought about what their saviors would do to Y2J and Christian - especially Christian. After what he'd tried to pull with her, she sincerely hoped he'd get his teeth kicked in. She hopped off the apron, the little blonde following suit, and went to stand in Edge and Rob's corner.

The new match seemed all set to take place. Nobody seemed to realize that Eric was still on the stage until he spoke again.

"Just a minute, gentlemen," the General Manager cut in. A grin came to his smug face as he got their attention. "There's a special stipulation for your match. You see, Christian and Jericho will both be allowed in the ring at all times, but you two...?"

Trish held her breath in fear and worry as she anticipated Bischoff's next words... And of course, she knew exactly what he was about to say, the rat!

"Rob Van Dam and Edge? You two have to tag in and out of the ring."

Boos circulated loudly from just about every niche of the arena.

"Oh, and ladies?" Eric said, smiling again as the two divas glared at him. "You're both banned from ringside."

Lita was outraged. She felt her hands clenching into fists as she muttered under her breath. Her hazel eyes were slitted as she eyed Bischoff. Of all the nerve! Reluctantly, she and Trish retreated from the ringside area, but not before wishing their rescuers good luck.

"Can you _believe_ that?" Trish cried as they reached the backstage area. Her pretty face was indignant.

"Of course I can," the redhead replied. "It's Eric Bischoff... Hell, we should have _expected_ it."

"I can't believe they did that for us," the Canadian said, her gaze taking on a faraway quality. "Wow."

In spite of the situation, Lita smiled.

"Yeah," she agreed. "That was very sweet of them. Hey, come on - let's go find a TV monitor to watch."

Moments later, they found the locker room of Shawn Michaels and decided to go visit. Much to the two divas' surprise, Lilian was ensconced inside, her bad ankle heavily wrapped and propped up on a chair. And of course, the TV monitor was showing Armageddon.

"Sure, come and join us, ladies!" the Heartbreak Kid sang. He made a grand sweeping gesture with both hands, inviting them in.

"Lil!" Trish exclaimed with surprise. A smile came back to her face as she went over to the ring announcer to hug her.

Lita mouthed a grateful 'thank you' to Shawn as she stepped more fully into the room. She nodded at Lilian as she saw her.

"How's the ankle?"

"Still swollen," the slim blonde replied, "but definitely getting better." She cocked a glance over to the television monitor. "You two sure are lucky those guys came on the scene for you!"

Trish nodded as she took a seat beside her friend.

"Oh, we know... I still can't believe they did that!" She was silently thoughtful for a moment. "That must be why they said, 'See you out there.'"

"Huh?" Lita asked. She was still standing with Michaels, engaged in small conversation with him, but turned her head in the blonde's direction at her words.

"Before you and I met up earlier, I saw Rob," Trish explained. "He gave me a sort of encouraging pep-talk. He was very cool, not even worried for us, it seemed. And then he said, 'See you out there.'" She shook her head as her gaze was glued to Van Dam's image on the TV screen. Wonder filled her as she surmised, "The two of them must have planned this!"

Lilian grabbed Trish's hand and gave it a soft squeeze. At the same time, Lita stood with her gaze fixed on the monitor, once again feeling touched as she thought about what the guys had done for her and Trish.


End file.
